Ward robe-bedstead



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. D. SNYDER.

WARDRUBB BEDSTEAD. y No. 365,948. Patented July 5, 1887.

Il a mu. I Z W y 7 ZW-4 I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. D. SNYDER. WARDROBBBEDSTEAD.

N0. 365,948., Patented Julj, 1887.

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, "NTTED STATES PATENT Tries.

VILLIAM D. SNYDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

wARoaoBE-BEDSTEAD'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,948, dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 217,769.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. SNYDER, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wardrobe Bcdsteads, of which the fol-lowing is a spccitication.

My invention relates to improvements in wardrobebedsteads in which a weight is employcd to counterbalance the foldi ng frame; and the object is to provide a pivotal connection of the stationaryand movable frame on which they may move in folding and unfolding with less friction than heretofore, and which will permit them to be readily taken apart. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a closed bed of the class mentioned containing the invention, part of the upright frame being broken away. Fig. 2 is a section taken on linea' 0a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bed open, part of the upright frame being broken away. Fig. 5is a rear elevation. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line g/y of Fig. 4, the bed being open.

A designates the upright frame, and B the folding frame.

C is the head-board, which slides in grooves in the upright frame, and is connected by a vibrating link, c, to the outside of the folding frame on each side, whereby the head-board is made to slide up and down by the folding and unfolding. On the inside of the upright frame, on each side, there are secured vertical cleats a a and crosspieces a', provided with a notch or recess, a2, in' the center or midway between the inner edges of the upright cleats. There is sufficient open space left between the cross-pieces a', so that a thin roller, e, may be placed between them, with its shaft or pin through the center resting in the bottomA of the notch or recess a2 and supporting it, so as to turn freely in the space between, with the upper edge of its periphery projecting above the t'op of the cross-pieces.

To the outside of the folding frame, upon each side of the bed, are attached grooved disks e', having their lower edges flush with 1,0 the bottom edge of theside rail when unfolded.

These disks are attached as a permanent fixture lo the side rails, and they should be of the proper size to fit closely between the u pright parts a, affording only slight play. They rest upon the upper edges of the rollers @and support the folding frame thereon., the points of contact of the'circular edges of the rollers and disks being the fulcra upon which the folding frame turns. The parts a a serve as guides or keepers to maintain the disks directly over the rollers at all times during the opera tion of folding and unfolding.

To the head end of the folding frame are attached the weight-holders Z), made of metal, with a fiat portion adapted to be attached to the fiat surface of the end rail by screws and a raised flange supported a-short distance from the rail, affording a narrow space between the face of the rail and the flange, and open at the top, so that the ends of the weights W' may be placed therein, and the counterpoise thus readily secured to the end of thefoldiug frame. The Weight is thus distributed over the entire surface of the end rail of the folding fra-me, and when the bed is open the weightis wholly above the fulcrum or point of contact of the disk and rollers; but when the bed is closed the weight is located differently relative to the rollers and disks, it being then beneath the rollers, instead of to oneside of thcm,andthat point on the periphery of the disks which is nearest to the weight is brought into contact with the rollers by the disks having been turned a quarter of a revolution in the fold mg.

To the sides of the upright frame are attached springs s, whose lower ends project sufficiently to come in contact with lugs s', attached to the outside of the folding frame near the head end, which lugs are provided with a flaring socket or recess, s2, adapted to receive alug or bent portioni, atthe end of the spring, the arrangement being such that as the folding frame is lowered to the floor the lug will strike theinclined or beveled end of the spring and throw it inward until thelugs scomeinto line with the socket, which takes place simul taneously with the touching of the foot-legsof the folding frame on the floor Thelugs then enter the sockets and lock the parts in their IOO .rail will cause them to be disengaged automatically from the'sockets of the folding frame.

The counterpoise W exerts' its greatest influence when the bed lis open, in which position the maximum of force is required to move the bed, and, being above the fulcrum or plane of the meet-ing faces of the disks e and rollers e,

- it gradually descends during the ,folding operation until it reaches its position below the rollers, in which only the minimum offorce is needed; but during its descent it still bears in the direction of a vertical line through the axis of the rollers. When the bed is nearly closed, part of the weight will have crossed this vertical line, thereby diminishing its effeet to such an extent that the bed does not slam shut. This effect is in part secured by the upright cleats a a, one or the other of which in keeping the disks directly over the rollers will come in contact with t-he disks, as they incline slightly from t-he highest point of the rollers during the operation, imparting slight friction. The Weight and bed are equalized at anyangle between the open and the closed position by the changing position of the weight 4with reference to the fulcrum during the operation of opening or closing, and the slight friction of the parts c on the disks is sufficient to hold the bed at rest in any position between vertical and horizontal at which it may be stopped. v

I am aware of the patent to Everitt, No.

Y 332,144, of December 8, 1885, which showsa wardrobe-bedstead having a considerable portion of each of the side rails cut away by a recess and semicircular slot, and having the folding frame supported on three rollers arranged on an arc upon each side of the upright frame, and admitted. through the recess into the semicircular slot and arranged to travel therein as the folding part is operated; but this construction does not contain my invention.

The distinguishing features of my construction over that of Everitts are the disk attached to the side rails, made without any recess or slot, the means for maintaining the disk on and directly over a single roller on each side of the bedstead', and the relative arrangement of the guides, rollers, and disks', whereby the folding frame-may be readily disconnected from the upright frame by simply lifting the side rails up, so that the disks will be raised above the guides. The advantages of this arrangement are, first, the strengthening of the sidev rails at the point of their piv! otal connection with the upright frame by the attachment ofthe disks thereto; second, the bed can readily be taken apart without loosening or removing bolts or screws and put togetheragain without the employment of a skilled mechanic; third, the connecting parts are eX- tremely simple and can be cheaply made; and, fourth, the automatic clutch secures the bed from being prematurely closed.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a Wardrobe-bedstead, the pivotal connection of the upright and the folding frame, consisting of the rollers c, vertical guides ac, and cross-pieces a, attached to the upright frame, and the disks e', attached to the folding frame and riding on the top of the rollers c, substantially as specified.

XVM. D. SNYDER.

XVitnesses:

JNO. H. WHIPPLE,

J. R. DEAN. 

